Conventional openable ring type loose-leaf notebooks include cardboard cover flaps that are secured by a cloth or vinyl cover of the notebook to a spine on which a ring assembly with openable rings is mounted. Such cardboard cover flaps provide only limited structural integrity to the notebook. Furthermore, the cloth, vinyl, or other materials conventionally utilized to cover the cardboard flaps are subject to fraying, tearing, and other wear especially at the outer edges and corners of the cover flaps which are exposed to the greatest degree of handling during use. Furthermore, the cloth, vinyl, and other cover materials conventionally used to provide the hinge connection of cover flaps to the notebook spine provide only a limited aesthetically appealing appearance. Also, conventional covering materials for cover flaps of openable ring type notebooks are not sufficiently rigid, hard, and smooth to permit ease of writing on the outside of the closed notebook as is often advantageously desirable.
Upon conducting a search for the present invention, certain non-ring type binders were noted. While these non-ring type binders are believed to be nonanalagous to the present invention, disclosure of the references is hereby being made of record so there can be no question that Applicant has complied with the duty of disclosure under patent practice. These prior art references having non-ring type binders include U.S. Pat. Nos.: 121,671 Shannon; 385,433 Underwood; 440,646 Ohmer; 809,557 Dumas; 841,920 Barsachs; 1,346,328 Manny; and 2,362,118 Dawson, Jr.